The evening world., 1887-12-02
HOT SHOT FROM POWDERLY.
GRUMBLERs IN THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
GET ASEyERE DRUBBING IN PRINT.
TIE General Master Workman says the
Men Who Talk So Much About Founding
n New Order Are Just tho Mon Who
Would Destroy IL IL Formed-Let Each
knight Clean His Own Doorstep.

ESPECIAL TO THE WORLD
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 2.-~Powderly's second
letter to the Knights, published here in the
Journal of United Labor to-day, is considered
a " corker." He gives the GROWERS and 30
called secessionists q sound drubbing. Mr..
Powderly seldom INDUCES in talk of this
kind, but when he does hit o blow it comes
straight from the shoulder.
when l hear men talk of seeding from
the organization, with the threat of starting
an improved order" he says, II fancy that
they know but little of the trials, the dangers,
the odds against which they will have to con-
tend, and l feel that the amount of energy
necessary to build up a new order if prop
erly applied in the old one would make it
inyinciblo.
1t is true that in the old organization all
who aspire cannot be officers; all who pull
wires cannot succeed in getting a position
but it is equally true that after they secede,
If they succeed in building up q new order,
they only make it possible for other men to
pull wires and aspire to the places which
they fondly hoped to secure for themselves.
" If in the new order they succeed better
than in tho old one and secure Office, they
do so only to find at their elbows men who
want the same positions, and who, like
themselves, will stop at nothing mean or low
to accomplish their ends. Assassination Of
character begins anew charges of dishon-
esty, fraud, of betrayal and selling out are
again set afoat. The press is used to tear
down the characters of men that other men
"Of all foundations on which to build O
name that which is laid on the ruin of an.
others fame is the poorest. The envy and
jealousy which prompt q man to SANDER ard
tear down tho character of another wi. in
turn destroy the name, character and reputa-
ton of him who makes use of such cowardly
weapons.
II do not object to honest criticism. lam
not only willing to admit my faults, but I am
willing to be told of them in a fraternal way.
l am willing TO take the responsibility for all
my actions and recommendations, but it is
hardly fair to charge me with making recon-
mendations to the Genera Assembly in my
annual address which l never dreamed Of.
It is hardly fair or just to rush before the
country with every trifing thing, and instead
Of criticism deal out abuse and vituperation.
Let me ask n question of the member who
now aud then publishes q column or half
column OF abuse of the general officers,
charging them with all sorts of shortcom-
ings. What are you doing in your own
locality to make the lot of the toiler easier ?
Can you expect of me to give my whole, I'M
divided and cheerful attention to my work
while those who should be my li~eutenants
are furnishing the enemy with the ammuni-
ton with which to attack me
Attack if You will, c~riticise If you please,
abuse If you choose, but do not forget that
right where you live, in your own town or
city, within sound of your own voice, you
will find the degradation of the workshop or
factory. You will find the curse of poverty
in the tenement house. You will find the
evils of child labor; yes, If You listen, you
will hear the moan of starvation, and the
wall of men and women urged to sin because
of hunger and cold.
From an organization numbering less
than ten thousand members when the first
General Assembly was held, we have seen the
Knights of Labor grow until over
seven hundred thousand men and women
claim membership at one time. While that
vast and industrial army was being gathered
together, while the seed was being sown,
men who were pioneers were making sacri-
fees that the order might live in history rs a
power for good. They never found fault
for the reason that they felt that it was theirs
to do or to die. They were not working for
self nor the present, they worked for pos
terity n the future"